


Thunderstorm

by Maria Atwood (daiyu_amaya)



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe - Imprinting, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 01:53:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5808760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daiyu_amaya/pseuds/Maria%20Atwood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was odd, being in a world where you could meet your match- your "Soul Mate" and being who and what he was, his match, the one he'd imprinted with was everything he wasn't. Ruthless, Cold, and Criminal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I wrote this story season 10,Episode 11 hadn't come out so yeah...I threw in a few things after that point towards the end when I was checking for errors and what not so it might seem a little differently written. I was inspired by Bonds by Infinity456 over on Fanfiction.net and also I'd like point this out as it occurred to me after chatting with a friend; people think twilight when they think Imprint, I tend to lean towards The Last Herald-mage trilogy from Mercedes Lackey which in my opinion is far better than that tripe that passes for vampire fiction. If you want to see real vampires in my opinion watch interview with the vampire! ^_^ For those of you who don't agree then I get it, But I'm just stating my opinion as is my right thank you-this dosen't mean flame me, you don't have to read if you're so inclined.

_Talk to me girl_   
_Tell your lies_   
_Let your secrets hypnotize_   
_Cuz the light will never shine_   
_on this heart of mine_

He'd known from the beginning that she was someone to watch out for, and he'd been right-she was dark, dangerous, devious, and all his. Not that he'd known all of that in the very beginning, all he'd known was that she was beautiful. He could see in his minds eye the young woman he'd met that first time...They met he was waiting for Morgan to come get him because the truck he'd been using had spluttered and stopped on him-it had broken down, which was rare when it came to the vehicles that they used.   
Not to mention that there was a thunderstorm roaring through the area, so he'd gotten soaked through.

"All dressed up and nowhere to go?" He turned at the voice, young, melodious, and the body that went with that face was quite pretty too. A mint green mid-thigh length dress, heels and gloves to match, a white knit jacket over that. Bright electric blue eyes gazing at him shrewdly, and slightly curly blond hair bouncing as she walked towards him, she had no umbrella like he did and so she was also soaked. And his first impression of her had been so wrong, and so right at the same time. This woman wasn't to be trusted, this woman was dangerous to him...Only he wouldn't find out until later just how dangerous she really was.

  
"I'd have to say the same about you miss." She smiled, she wasn't wearing lipstick-but she had a ruined coat of lip gloss on, like she'd been nibbling her lips. "Car troubles, you?" letting out a breath he bobbed his head towards the truck; "Same." He could be facing the unsub, they knew it was a woman now and he said he'd go back to the crime scene to see if he could find anything they might have missed. Now here was this gorgeous woman talking to him.

  
The woman that was their unsub might have lost her 'soul mate' or the other half of her, there was still a lot that people didn't know about those who 'imprinted' as the scientific world called it and Reid had mentioned there was only one in a thousand people who were statistically born with that genetic trait-though there had been cases of more than two people being together as soul mates, He'd been the other half of Hailey and when she died...He felt like he was being torn apart, so he knew what this unsub felt if they had indeed lost their loved one.

  
"Got a ride coming?" He nodded; "Mind if I hitch a ride?" He blinked; "How do you know me and my ride aren't dangerous-there's a serial killer in these parts?" She laughed; "If you turned out to be a serial killer I would be surprised, besides I've got pepper spary and a damned good kick-not to mention my nails are like two inches long, good luck not getting scratched! Besides I bet you're law enforcement." How had she known? Had she been watching them? "You're easy you know? I've made a life out of profiling people, really useful for someone writing books actually. Besides everyone could peg you as law enforcement. Black suit, probably black shades somewhere, handsome, intense eyes. Screams federal agent to me." She thought he was handsome? Well, he did look like quite a few victims-that hadn't gone over so well with the team when he said he wanted to go by himself even though that was technically against the buddy rule.

They stood there for a moment before she let out a gasp, "I just realised I haven't even introduced myself, I'm Maria Darnell. Pleasure to meet you." He shook her hand, it was safe-she was wearing gloves and he had loved and lost the half of his soul. Maybe that still affected him more than he thought because it hadn't really hurt that much when Beth and he parted...He'd been the one to tell her that she should take the job In Hong Kong. "Aaron Hotchner." Her hand twitched in his; "Well, well. BAU then my, my what a small world we live in." What exactly did this woman mean? "I suppose Jason would want me to say hello for him. Then again, he'd probably just glare at me." So she knew Jason and he was still alive somewhere, well he would have known if Jason Gideon died...

So she knew Jason and he was still alive somewhere, well he would have known if Jason Gideon died... Though, he had dropped completely from the radar, he hadn't wanted anyone-Spencer-his mind supplied quietly to follow him. "And how do you know him miss Darnell?" She smiled; "You can call me Maria and I met him a couple years ago...Though sadly he's pretty depressed right now, being in a wheelchair and all would do that to a great mind after all." He was in a wheelchair? "What happened?" She blinked; "I don't know to be honest, he never shares too many personal things." He'd have to ask Jason himself then, "Got his number?" She nodded and reached into a pocket, he hadn't noticed earlier how deeply it was sagging. She pulled out her wallet and pulled out a card, "Silly man wrote it on the back of my card so here." He took the scrap of paper that had somehow gone unspoiled. Then he heard the truck rolling up, "Need a lift?" Morgan asked with a wry smile, he couldn't help to roll his eyes, "Would you mind terribly giving me a lift to the police station?" Maria asked shyly, maybe Morgan was her type?

  
"Hotch?" He shrugged it didn't bother him. "We are going to the same place, wouldn't hurt." Morgan nodded and Hotch let Maria sit in the front, but she looked so uncomfortable that he kind of pitied her. She'd been so outgoing with him and was nearly as fidgety as Reid around strangers with Morgan, he wondered what that was about...  
"So, how'd you end up stuck on that stretch of road?" Morgan asked softly, a small smile playing on his lips-Maria was a beautiful woman after all, why wouldn't Morgan notice that? "My rental car decided it didn't like me." She was so shy it was as beautiful on her as confident had been-but why had she been so confident with him? She'd bordered on flirtatious even, maybe she really was the unsub. As far as they could figure the unsub was a black widow and using a car ruse to get men to let her in their cars and obviously she was beautiful-probably wearing skimpy clothing, though Maria's wasn't skimpy it was enticing all the same. "Would you mind answering a few questions when we get to the station?" Morgan was really suspicious then, Aaron knew he should too but there was something about this woman that didn't sit right with him as their unsub.

  
The first was her knowledge of Gideon, but she obviously knew how to play roles as she was right now with him and then Morgan. Outgoing and confident for him and shy and socially awkward for Morgan. "Sure, guess since you found me on the road there I'd be suspect and your boss looks kind of like the men that have been murdered." Morgan laughed; "How do you know he's the boss?" She smiled at him, coming out of her shell a little bit; "Because you glanced at him before you asked me if it was okay if I answered questions and your obvious respect for him. Plus he strikes me as the overworked boss than a subordinate." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the police station, things get a little interesting ^_^

_And all the love we sacrifice_  
_look at all of the damage you have done in time._  
_You can see what a savage I've become in my eyes_

"Where were you last night?" Maria smiled softly; "At a bar in New York." Her contact, Charles Grant at the police station had been startled that they wanted to ask her questions. Even going so far as to mention she lived in Japan. Morgan nodded; "Meet anyone there?" Maria nodded; "I actually did, a friend from an old job. Names Haruo Umami, we had a blast! Then I made my way here-Grant recently lost a family member and I was coming to visit for a little bit." Morgan leaned back; "So Darnell-" She shook her head; "I prefer Maria if you don't mind." Morgan frowned at her; "Maria, how long have you been here?" She blinked; "In town? About five minutes, in state for about a half hour." Morgan nodded; "How'd you get here?" She looked like she wanted to roll her eyes "Plane of course, would take too long if I took any other mode of transportation after all." There was that bite again, where had it gone in the car and why was it back? Did she have a split personality or something?

  
"You know you were a lot more behaved in the car." She grinned which said she was far more amused than anything else; "Yeah, I got a little shy. I met your hot boss and then met you- and boy was I flustered." J.J chuckled; "Well I'm surprised, most women that hit on him wouldn't look at you twice." Aaron scowled, he didn't care-really. It wasn't like he was unwilling to try and he was going with Rossi to his little Jazz club on Saturday. "Hotch isn't that bad, he has Beth after all," Reid said. He didn't even know that Beth wasn't even in D.C anymore. Though the thought was touching.

  
"Why did you let me ask you questions if you had this on you?" He held up a paper slip, a plane ticket? When had he gotten that? Maria shrugged; "I was humoring you?" Aaron couldn't help but to snort at the comment, if the woman had been any less helpful and more aggressive they might have dug deeper, spent more time on her and the unsub would have been killing another innocent person while they wasted time with her.

  
"You're free to go now." Maria nodded and both her and Morgan stood up, Morgan being a gentleman opened the door for her and she walked out and patted her friend Charles. The stations not big, they are all clustered in the same general area, J.J's busily talking to Reid as Aaron watches Maria and Charles, she wasn't the unsub. At least that was out of the way.  
"See, told you." The man smiled at her; "You're a right pain in everyone's ass you know that?" Maria laughed as she slipped on one glove and was pulling on the second when someone bumped her and she went crashing into Aaron. "Whoa." His bare hand clenches hers and a jolt rips its way up his arm like lightning, his mind blanks for a moment remembering what it had felt like with Hailey before the words hit him too. Bound, he'd just found his souls other half again! This wasn't possible, it wasn't happening. "No!" He hissed as he pushed her away-Maria sprawls onto the ground, a little noise coming out of her mouth as she hits the ground. Blond curls swarm her face but he can see those electric blue eyes staring at him wide and blank.

  
"Hotch!" He shutters and rushes away from the group. He can't be imprinted with Maria Darnell. He'd been imprinted with Hailey, she'd been his one and only for so long and imprinted-oh god how could there be another imprint? Aaron realizes his surroundings again, he's in the men’s bathroom...He turns on the tab and lets cold water splash onto his face. He cannot accept that Darnell is his imprinted, it was just too much.

  
"Hotch." He looks in the mirror to find Reid standing in front of the door, thankfully the door is closed he doesn’t have to see anyone else. "I, It can't be." Aaron doesn’t even know what to say, but the words just spilled out of his mouth. "It's happened before, in 2009 A widowed forty-two-year-old woman named Mary Morris imprinted on a thirty-five-year-old man named Brad Deckard." Imprinted was often said to be rare, how could he have two in his life? "Why me?" Reid chuckles, "Maybe your heart of gold deserves another great love?" Reid was being corny. "With Hailey it was like sitting next to a great big fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate-but this...This was like being struck by lightning, wild-untamable."

  
Reid looks surprised at the confession. But, it was true-Hailey and his imprinting had been calm and beautiful...But this Maria's was like a terrible and awesome storm crashing down on him, being lightning struck. They have a case to take care of, there is no time to deal with his imprinting...Aaron turns off the tap. Time to work and catch their unsub...and maybe Maria.  
The case takes over with another murder and he pushes aside the fact he found Maria. They don't even see each other again before he gets on the jet to go home. They other didn't seem overly happy with him, but he has her number-Tells them how Maria knows Gideon, that gets Spencer all excited because it had been years since he'd talked to the man. He knows that at some point he should call her, knows that he won't be able to ignore her-or the bond they now share.  
He was pretty sure he was going to go insane due to the bond screaming at him for being so far away from Maria, but he goes to work, just another normal work day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at Quantico. What's going on with Hotch?!

_If you look in my heart you will find_  
_No love No light No end in sight (I've been looking for a miracle (x2))_  
_but I hope I pray that I will find (cuz I'm looking for a miracle cuz I'm looking for a miracle)_  
_there's a place I wanna go and a life I want to know_  
_but you crucify my heart of gold_

It would figure that when his bond screams bloody murder that he was so far away from Maria for so long that she would show up. He goes into work another normal work day, until he finds his door unlocked, opening the door he finds her sitting at his desk. In his workspace, on a laptop as she sits in his chair. Normally he's not a very teritorial man, but it's Maria Durall at his desk-it's the bond mate he never wanted sitting there looking like she belonged there and always had. She looks ill-and he's pretty sure he does too, both Jessica and Jack had asked him if he was feeling well. He'd been truthful at least in telling them that he didn't, the part he omits is that the bond is making him sick. "Hello Agent Hotchner." Her voice is feeble at best, and her movements sluggish.

  
Honestly the fact that she looks so ill wrenches his heart, but he'd been the one to not contact her for several days-days he'd been ignoring the bond, days they wouldn't get back. But, he didn't want this bond. He still missed Hailey after all, and she was his true imprinted. "I'm sorry." Maria chuckles and sits back, she's not about to give him back his seat that much is obvious at least. He sits on the opposite side of the desk which feels strange to do. She's wearing gloves agian, but blue ones this time as is her dress, one that is far longer than the one he'd seen her in when they met. "I've been busy." It's all he can think of, She nods but her body language says she's hurt.

  
"I've been as well since I've pulled up stakes, the Bureau thinks it's better if I'm here now-since...Well since I've imprinted with you." Where will she live? He's not comfortable with her right this second, there was no way he could live with her. "Are you staying in a hotel?" Maria shakes her head; "I have property in these parts-I use to live in these parts, about a half hour from here or so actually." Ah well at least, they didn't have to worry about that. "I'd like if we could have lunch sometime soon, talk a little bit." Did he really have a choice in the matter? His bond mate, but seriously this was just crazy. He was bound again, and damn it he was too old for this.

  
Sadly the bond itched for them to touch, he wanted to touch her, to hold her slender hands in his much bigger ones. "I figure that you're being pushed as hard as I am from this bond-you keep staring at my hands, would you mind for a moment to hold my hand please?" She had said she was part profiler, and she wouldn't say that if Jason had berated her-so she had some talent in that department at least. She might just understand his work in that respect. They hold hands for a moment but it feels so good, her gloves gracing his desk-for whatever reason that seems funny to him. That connection, their hands together was like it had been when he'd been gone far too long from Hailey.

  
"She was really important to you wasn't she? I mean you still have pictures of her-even though you're dating someone." He wondered who told her he was dating someone, how long had she been in town and which one of his team were talking to her? Certainly not Dave, he knew the truth about Beth after all. "I'm not dating anyone...Not anymore, I. We broke up almost a month ago." Maria looks down at their entwined hands, "I always thought I was going to die alone." And if that didn't wrench his heart he'd be one cold bastard. Why would she have thought that, she was beautiful, smart, kind, and rather entertaining, "Well, you won't have to worry about that anymore." Her smile is bright, he was feeling better too. And damn it he forgot something very important-he hasn't told Jack or Jessica about Maria at all. "I should tell you now that I have a son."

She brightens even further, "A son? What's his name and how old?" Aaron's not certain but Maria almost sounds happy about it, if he'd been in her shoes he wouldn't be so sure that he'd be so accepting of that. "Jack, he's nine almost ten." She shakes her head; "Must be a handful, having this kind of job and a child to raise." He shrugs, "I have help and I try to be there as much as possible." Maria's eyes darken a bit; "Help? I thought you said you didn't have a girlfriend?" He wants to chuckle at the jealousy in her voice, that wouldn't be helpful though. "His Aunt Jessica helps me out." Maria relaxes, "Ah, that's nice." But the dark look hasn't gone away, he understands a moment later; "How are we going to do this? I mean we can't play keep away forever." Of course that would be a problem, his long hours and everything else that he does... "I'll get back to you on that once I figure something out." Maria sighs; "Okay, but if it gets bad again I'm stealing your office again."

  
It doesn’t occur to him until she's gone that she said the bureau thought it was best if she was in the same place as him, and she got into his office in the first place. Had she somehow convinced someone to let her up here? But what about the Bureau thing?  
"Agent Hotchner?" The director is standing in his doorway; "Yes?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More team time yay!

_look at all of the damage you have done in time._  
_if you offer salvation I will run into your arms_  
_and deep in my heart you will find_  
_no love no light no end in sight_

  
He walks into the conference room, his team gathered there and damn it he really didn't want to do this now, and he really didn't want any of this. "Hey Hotch, we already covered the case, so what is this about?" Morgan asks, and god, how were they going to react to the news that he'd just been told himself? "We're getting a new member to our team." And that sends shock waves through the whole team.  
"What do you mean we're getting a new member? We just got Kate not that long ago!" Garcia isn't helping with the shrill voice and the look of terror on her face. The others have a variety of looks, Morgan looks frustrated, Reid intrigued, Kate and J.J. surprised, and Rossi looks devious. Hm, he'd have to ask him about that later.

"I won't be actively working with all of you, Just Garcia." Maria says from behind him, he'd sat with his back to the door as he usually sat at the head of the table. "Darnell." Morgan says, like he's not overly surprised to see her in the doorway. "Working with me?" Garcia sounds breathless almost; "Via a connection because there is no way I would intrude on your workspace." Garcia waves her hands; "Not that that isn't just the nicest thing ever, but you can work in my office-its cool!" He's pretty sure Maria's smiling...They aren't an imprinted romance book, they can't tell what the other is thinking or feeling. But, it's said that imprinted are sort of like twins-and twins sometimes say they can feel the death of the other. He's aware of the exact second that Hailey died, felt it as if he was dying with her. Other wise their just normal people who so happened to have imprinted with each other. But, from what he's seen of her to this point, yeah he's pretty sure she's smiling.

  
"So, anyhow...The case Garcia?" Maria sat as far away as possible from him, he's been sending her mixed signals and he knows its so wrong to do that to her but it's so hard to be near her. As much as he just wants to grab her up and hold on tight he just can't, can't let her get that close to him-he just told her not even an hour ago that he had a son hell he hasn't even told Jack and Jessica why he's been so stressed lately.

Maybe it was just fear, because if Hailey could be taken from him, then Maria can also. He doesn't want that and maybe this time he would die, it happens sometimes-when one partner dies. The other will follow and there's so much evil in the world that he would rather live and fight them then ever allow Maria close to him. "So, you're really not going out with us on cases?" Morgan fires and Maria gives him a wry smile. "No, I'm staying behind. Even if you need a tech, you get Garcia." She would be separate from them, and yet part of the team. Strangely that had been her idea rather than the directors, and it bothered him on several levels, even if he didn't want to be close to her a part of him did and it was that part he needed to squash.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that this bit was in a different style kind of from Chapter one even though I wrote it on the same word document ^_^
> 
> Also From Maria's POV!

"So, what's it like being with the boss man?" Maria want's to slam her face into the desk, did Garcia really think that she could ever be in a relationship with the man who insist he's not going to be stubborn and then turns around and acts all stubborn and distant?

Though she really couldn't blame him, his wife had been murdered and she'd been his light, his bonded. How they had managed to stay away from each other was confusing, though. "We're not." Simple, to the point.

"Really? No wonder he's so stressed." Did Penelope think it was her fault? The only people she was close to were assassins, and if anyone outside those who already knew found out, well there would be hell to pay and damn it was a pain in the backside.

"Has he introduced you to Jack and Jessica?" ah that topic, well someone was bound to ask her about that eventually. "Nope." Garcia spun in her chair so fast Maria was certain that she'd go flying off where no tech analyst has gone before.

"No?!" Maria shrugs; "It's not like I need to be part of his life." Garcia's mouth is wide open and she's shaking her head back and forth...Was she stuck that way or was there a way to fix her? "Jack's like totally part of Hotch's life and Jessica who's Jack's aunt by the way-well she's super awesome and looks after Jack a lot! And you should be part of Hotch's life you're his Imprinted, he's just being a super grouchy puss."

The laughter that rant draws out of Maria is refreshing; "Thanks, Pen, you're awesome you know?" Garcia smiles brightly and then her phone goes off; "Office of miracle workers! Yep, I got the address just sent it your way. Yep, oh yeah you know it." and Maria tunes out Garcia's conversation with Morgan because it's just so indecent. Really those two should get a room-of course another room since she was in this room.

Garcia follows up on the case and the perp is caught, kind of a let down how easy it was this time-not that she wanted hard cases...Just that she knew that they were capable of far more then what they'd been able to show her this time. "You're both still here." Reid intones from the doorway.

Maria's pretty sure her presence isn't wanted; "I was just about to go." and she starts piling her things away into her bag and "No, please stay!" She looks back at him, he's all owlish and panicked looking. Garcia pats him on the shoulder and closes the door before sitting back down. "I wanted to talk to you actually." Her? Why? Maria sets her bag back down; "Oh? What about?"

He looks nervously at Garcia and the woman smiles softly; "Reid and I wanted to know why you hide away with me in here? You've been with the team for three months and not once have you come out with us And I've been out in the field at least twice since then you know?"

She appreciates the concern really she dose, but she didn't want to face the fury of Aaron Hotchner, She's pretty sure she could live without that. Maria had no clue what his problem was, seriously what the hell? And he got called out of the field, leaving his team to deal with the case.

What was that about? "I don't honestly belong-and big groups kind of freak me out." Which is untrue, she'd killed enough people in crowds to not be bothered by a gathering of any sort.

"Ah, you're like Reid then. But, even he goes out sometimes!" Reid looked slightly irritated by the comment; "But he's wanted-they want him around." Reid and Garcia both go slack-jawed; "Did Hotch tell you not to interact with the team?"

Well no, not really but she was going to be honest with them because they were asking and she did want to get to know Reid at least because they were both around the same I.Q. and had chemistry backgrounds among other things; "Not in so many words no." They still look like a fly could just fly into their mouths for a good long while later.

"It's not like I'm good around people anyway-I understand he wants to minimize contact with me." Garcia's doing that whole shaking head while mouth hanging open routine she'd done when they had first met.

"Hotch's a bastard!" Garcia practically shrieks causing both Maria and Reid to shrink away because seriously she looked pretty fierce and that was coming from an assassin. "I'm sure I can get him to be nicer eventually or I'll shoot him in the knee first-I'm not sure which one will come about first."

Garcia chokes on her laughter and Reid grins as he pats the tech goddess on the back. "Would you actually do it?" It's been a while since she'd let her hair down; "With a rubber bullet hell yeah."  
And it was time to stop playing pussy too. She was going to force his goddamn hand and make him realise that he had a stick up his ass.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Bands that inspired this story:  
> Imagine Dragons-Hear Me  
> Lecrae-Killa  
> Hurts-Miracle (Where the lyrics come from)


End file.
